The Masquerade || Kim Taehyung

Code 002

I threw my bag to the side of my bed which I land on after a whole day of job hunting. This is tiring.

So far, I've only been to convenient stores and I have no luck. I grunt as loud as ever out of frustration thinking nobody is home. I laid on my back, staring blankly at the ceiling.

"You haven't found a job?"

I shake my head slow before realizing Taehyung's laying beside me, also staring at the ceiling. I stopped myself from freaking out.

"When did you come in?"

"A few minutes ago. I knocked twice."

"Oh.."

And we just laid there, staring blankly at the ceiling. Silence stretched between us.

"You didn't go to work?" I asked out of curiosity.

"Nope, I sprained my ankle."

He lifted his leg up and we both nod that yup-clumsiness-verified nod. I snort at our uniform action and sat up.

"You hungry?"

"I thought you'd never ask. Famished!"

He sits up, too and smiles brightly at me. His smile is.. rectangular. Teeth-rich, very charming smile.

"What can I do to help while you cook?"

"Hmmm," I took a moment to think. "Can you set the table up?"

He nods and we went out of my room.

A week living with Taehyung isn't bad at all. He's very friendly and he's always offering a helping hand. I don't even feel like I'm an outsider renting a room in his house, but I feel like his best friend who had stayed with him for years.

"Your cookings are delicious, Young-ah"

Young; I thank whatever that made my parents to give me a unisex name. I don't need to cram my brain to think of another name for my little masquerade. I smile at him with a proud smile for his praise.

"Ah! I have an idea."

I looked at him and sip down my glass of water.

"What is it, hyung?"

He chews on his last bite of salmon and swallows. "I have a friend, he owns a cafe." He says—matter of factly—before getting up and collect our empty plates to be discarded into the sink. "I can ask him if he has a spot for cooks. And if there is, I think I can get you in," he explains as he took out a bottle of Coke and returns back to his seat. He looks at me blankly and blinks a couple of times as he's waiting for my reaction.

"Oh, that's cool. So.. What do I have to do?"

"We can stop by his place tomorrow before you continue your hunt."

"Sounds good."

The cafe is quite sophisticated as it is furnished in white and artsy paintings hung on the walls with glass floor-to-ceiling at one side, it attracts not only students who goes to the nearby university, but also tourists who looks for a place to chill and plan their routes. The menu isn't bad either—a variety of drinks to choose from and light meal servings such as pies and muffins—nothing too heavy.

As we looked around—and Taehyung telling me that this is where he would go if he's hungry right after work—a tall, blonde man walked up to us.

"Yah, Taehyung-ah," he greets Taehyung and they hugged for a brief second.

"Hyung! How are you?"

"Never better. Come, let's talk inside."

We walked inside the cafe, soft music playing in the background and we're seated beside the glass wall.

"Ah, hyung. This is my friend, Young."

I hold out my hand and he takes it with a wide smile plastered on his face.

"Jin."

We talked and to my luck, Jin is looking for a cook. He said he's been thinking of adding something heavy on the menu—like pasta. Taehyung has been praising my cooking and Jin creased an eyebrow as in how surprised he is.

"Nobody can really please Taehyung about food this way except for me. I guess you cook mighty fine. Are you interested in the job?"

Jin has got his last sentence playing in my mind. I looked at Taehyung who is now wearing a proud smile and blinks randomly at me. I slowly turned back to Jin and nod brightly. He held his hand out and I took it with full gratitude.

"Good, you can start Monday."

We talked for a few more minutes before Jin excused himself.

"See, I told you I could get you in!"

I smile shyly at him and a thought pops up in my head.

"Is it true that you have high tastes for food and only Jin and I has succeeded to please your taste buds?"

He looks blankly at me before slowly nod.

"But I think.. Ah! My mom's cookings too!" He smiles fondly at the thought.

We never had the time to talk about our lives before so this is kind of an introduction and the beginning of a long-lasting friendship. Or a relationship if I ended up falling for him and my identities blown. Jeez, I wouldn't want that to happen.

Wouldn't I?